It all started on 31.3.12 one year ago today when 3 little red/brown hens along with 797 others were rescued from certain death by Fresh Start For Hens, today was the 1st day of the rest of thier lives The lucky girls were taken to Tinas home were along with Sally she began the task of uniting them with thier new familiesFirst of all they were all checked over and fed and given water and allowed to rest and recover from thier journey from the cages.All around the country many selfless volunteers were giving thier time freely to ensure the girls got the free life they deserverd but could"nt even imagine.

All were different some quiet and shy and maybe overawed by the postion they now found themselves in. Others were curious and cheeky and very eager to embrace thier changes in fortune, they were ready to grab life by the beak and run with it.They marvelled at the soft green stuff under thier feet and found it was really tasty too and a huge improvement on the wire they were accustomed to.What had startd as a normal run of the mill day in thier pitiful existance was turning out to be anything but that

For these bedraggled little souls life would never be the same again and I can tell you exactly how those girls felt for I was in the thick of it.You see iI am one of those lucky girls Let me introduce myself, my name is APRIL and this is my story

TO BE CONTINUED

Lindas note ..............As many of you know our April crossed Rainbow Bridge on 22.3.13 just one week short of her first Free-Birthday. The following background in her words is my tribute to a little red hen who lived and loved her life to the very end. April has left a legacy of love for us of these gorgeous brave girls and i can honestly say that picking her and her sisters up from Tinas that day added more to our lives than i can say.Who would think that such a small girl could fill such a large part in someones life

R.I.P. APRIL the 1st of our beautiful girlsxxxxxx

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Honey, Lizzi and I were put into a box with soft golden straw and we soon nestled down to sleep for the journey to our new home.When we arrived we were settled into a rabbit run which mum thought was too small for 3, but dad said it was only for today to let us get used to all the space without being to stessed out.Anyway lucky bunny i said having all that space, in our previous existance there would have been at least 15 of us in there.

Honey and I were quite sparse in the clothing dept and I even had a bald head, not a good look i can tell you.Lizzi had beautiful dark red feathers on her back and looked very elegant and how a hen should do, but under her belly was another story as she was just as bald as us.

We settled in beautifully and one night i gentley bop-bopped to my girls how we would continue landscaping the garden with our awsome digging talents before falling into a peaceful sleep full of dreams.

Next morning I bounced out of my nest eager to get on with my project, but first a hearty breakfast was needed to sustain all that energy i was using up helping with the gardening.Lizzi arose as serenely as usual and delicately picked at breaky, meanwhile Honey was havin a lie in.Well she was so tiny and the last few days had been a bit hectic, she looked so cute snuggled up in her favourite corner.While I was stuffing my face mum lifted Honey out and said she had gone over Rainbow Bridge.My family were very upset they said we had only been free 3 days and Honey had"nt had a chance to enjoy life.I bop-bopped to mum that she had gone to bed happy and she had passed away knowing peace, love and freedom, mum understood me of course but she still cried

Lizzi and I were determined to enjoy every minute that we had and we dustbathed and scratched and lay in the spring sunshine to our hearts contentOne day Lizzi was a bit unwell and she just slept most of the day, mum said she thought Lizzi had sour crop, she read advice on Down the Lane and did everything she could.Next morning i was eager as always but Lizzi was having a lie in or so I thought, but mum said that she had also gone over Rainbow Bridge. We had been free for just 13 days but she had enjoyed every one of them and was once again happy with our little sister Honey So what would become of me now, for the first time in my life i was alone

TO BE CONTINUED

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well today is a lovely sunny day and the girls are making the most of it, they will probably even later to bed tonightif it stays nice.We are back to five eggs today and at the moment the shells are generally good from the ex batty girls. Hope hasnt laid for ages and Sorrell and Sasha lay and then will miss one or two days, but as long as they are happy and healthy thats the important thing.Tiny little Faith has laid every day since she came out and bless her she was such a bedraglled bald skinny little girl you wondered how she managed to make one, they really are amazing these girls.I feel sorry for her at the minute cause she has just about featherd up nicely and now she seems to be losing a few to the moult.Sorrel is much brighter on herself she has finished her moult not long since but it really knocked the stuffing out of her poor girl, but shes more or less back to her bossy self

Hope is"nt having a very good day today, she has"nt eaten very much, she has been even more up and down since April died than she was before.Yesterday she ate meal and maggots by herself and i gave her a littleyoghurt and olive oil

The girls always look forward to thier supper and last night i thought i would try them with a bit of yoghurt it was a vanilla one, they dont like the natural flavour.Well they came running like a frieght train as usual, the first ones there stuck thier beaks in and then stopped dead and litterally spluttered it all out.There was an allmighty din and 6 pairs of beady eyes were fixed accusingly on me, they then turned as one and stalked off muttering and throwing dirty looks over thier retreating shoulders.Ifelt very much chastised, so of course dad brought the maggots out to placate "his" poor girls, you should have heard the lovely noises they made to him, with the occasional squawk and glare at me. Theres no wonder they are such madams is there

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Linda how sad and unlucky that your 1st girls really didn't have much chance of freedom apart from April, of course. You have a big heart as some folks would have lost confidence in rehoming ex batts . Looking forward to more chapters.

It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful

come on hope eat a little more ,Linda your posts are always so life like its like i can almost see theose little accusing amber eyes when you dared feed them vanilla yoghurt and T bless him coming to his girls rescue with the juicy maggots what a good chicken daddy he is

Thanks for the lovely comments and good wishes for Hope ladies, she had an hour in the other part of the garden with Tand the bunny yesterday tea time and enjoyed picking some grass

We have brought her inside for a while today because although its lovely and bright its very cold and the wind is so strong she is getting blown about like tumbleweed bless her.Yesterday she went to bed for an afternoon nap and stayed up till nearly 8 last night , shes usually in bed for 5.30 and is much brighter again today and has had a little tuna cat food and iv scrambled her an egg.We have come to accept that we must take each day as it comes with her, we didnt think she would survive at all so everyday is a bonus, but then again with all lovely ex-batty girls thats the caes isnt it

The girls are having boiled veg for tea today, last night in an atempt to coax Hope to eat i gave them some sardines and a few baked beans. After a few strange dances round the dishes accomonied by a loud chorus they scooffed every bit, I think they just like to keep us on our toes the little minxes

Iwill be putting Aprils catchup posts between the up to date ones then im not swamping you with loads as theres still 5 chapters to come

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In my atempt to get Hope to eat a bit more today i got a small bag of chick crumbs and she filled up on those so much that she refused the maggots dad feeds her one at a time she just pecked a bit of grass. Someone gave us some turf strips a few wks ago for the girls to walk on instead of the mud where the grass had been and a few green strands are coming through.Even if it dosnt take we are going to throw some seed on it cause it is a good springy base for them.This afternoon we lifted the edges and you should have seen the stampede for the worms there were loads even Hope gobbled some there were that many

The apple and pear tree in the girls garden are budding up now and Ihave a feeling that these greedy gannets will enjoy the odd bit of fruit. All the others that came before them never bothered raiding the trees so we shall wait and see.They have a holly tree to and we have kept it low but wide so that they can all shelter under it they love it under there.

4 eggs yesterday and 5 today so it looks like they are back to thier normal selves again and there has only been the odd feather about, although a couple look a bit tatty they seem over the worst.Faith aka Roadrunner is looking particularly lovely she is a light ginger and has just about got all her clothes nowSorrel has still a lot of white showing but is looking much better too, i think all the maggots and mealworms have really helped with the plumage growth

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mum and dad spent a lot of time in the garden with me so I did"nt get too lonely, but they wanted me to have some more featherd family.Trixie aka Asbo Bunny was allowed in my garden and we became good friends, we played hide and seek or chase or just lay in the sun together chatting.

One day mum was very excited and told me that she had found a new sister for me, and they were going to get her, she was a lone ex-batt like me.Peggy Mitchell came to live with us on the 17th april and I very quickly laid down my ground rules.Mum had found out about Peggy on Down the Lane Forum, her mum didnt want her to be lonely either and so it was decided that she would come and live with us.

Peggy told Trixe and I that she had been rescued from the cages about a year ago with her 2 sisters, but that tragically she was the sole survivor of a fox attack.One of Peggys wings drooped and she told us that it had been damaged when a horse had grabbed her and picked her up Phew shes a very lucky girl is our Pegs.

I had laid my 1st egg the day our Lizzi died and although the shells were thin and ridged mum said they were the best she had ever eaten.When Peggy came she began to eat any I laid, i told her to stop but she would"nt I was"nt at all pleased. Mum tried the mustard in a blown egg trick, but all Peggy said was how considerate mum was to provide condiments for her enjoyment.Mum said that given our past lives and what we had endured she would forgive us anything.

I had started to lay some very strange things and softies and mum said someone on D.T.L had called it the hennapause, and sometimes I did"nt feel to good, so I had some lovely warm spa belly baths.Once my pipes had packed up I felt a new woman and I began to blossom, and life was grand.

We spent happy hours sunning ourselves or dust bathing or sitting under the apple tree discussing how we would educate our baby sisters who were hatched and arriving when they were old enough to be with us.Peggy was"nt as keen on Trixie as I was and sometimes used to chase her with her wings out, Trixie thought it was funny and loved to tease Peggy

On 12th july we got up as usual but later that morning she went into her nest, she had been a bit quiet even for her but seemed fine.When mum came with some grapes she found Peggy slumped as if on her way back out of her nest, and blamed herself saying she should have noticed she was"nt well.When dad burried Peggy with my other sisters mum said it sounded like I was crying, I would miss my sweet Peggy. For nearly 3 mths she had sung little songs all day in her soft gentle voice and been my best friend, we were the 3 amigos, Me,Trixie and Peggy Mitchell, but now apart from my bunny friend untill the little ones come I was alone again.................

TO BE CONTINUED

And then there was one, Again!!!! JemimaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLittle Angels Free For EverHoney,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRemembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx